Single-cell tracking reveals antibiotic-induced changes in mycobacterial energy metabolism.

ABSTRACT:

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ATP is a key molecule of cell physiology, but despite its importance, there are currently no methods for monitoring single-cell ATP fluctuations in live bacteria. This is a major obstacle in studies of bacterial energy metabolism, because there is a growing awareness that bacteria respond to stressors such as antibiotics in a highly individualistic manner. Here, we present a method for long-term single-cell tracking of ATP levels in Mycobacterium smegmatis based on a combination of microfluidics, time-lapse microscopy, and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based ATP biosensors. Upon treating cells with antibiotics, we observed that individual cells undergo an abrupt and irreversible switch from high to low intracellular ATP levels. The kinetics and extent of ATP s

SUBMITTER: Maglica Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4338811 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature